Color Palette: Deep Red, Muted Pinks and Peaches

This board is for one of our readers, Valerie. Valerie is getting married at a breathtaking winery in California, during the month of July. Her dress is a beautiful blush color so she wanted to have her color scheme coordinate with that. Besides having beautiful colors that would also compliment the lush surroundings of the venue, Valerie wanted to model her celebration after the garden party in the movie Sabrina. That is, people all dressed up at an outdoor party, complete with vintage touches. Here are my ideas for Valerie, and the color palette I designed for her with the help of Abby, at Style Me Pretty.
Ideas for the ceremony:
Bridesmaids: Incorporating the vintage feel into your celebration can be fairly easy by simply dressing from a certain era. By that I mean this: Have the bridesmaids do their hair with a vintage flair, such as the picture below from here. Or have them accessorize with vintage jewelry such as this. Don't forget about the shoes! You can incorporate vintage touches into your wedding by picking shoes with vintage style. Also, instead of having them carry flowers, what about a beautiful vintage fan? Or you can have the maid of honor carry flowers and the other bridesmaids carry fans such as the one pictured below from here. Since the bridesmaid dresses will have that pop of color, I would opt for more muted colors for the bouquets, such as the flowers in the top right corner of the color palette.


Bride (Valerie): To create a vintage look, Valerie can take some of the same tips from the bridesmaids and use them herself such as vintage jewelry or a vintage inspired hairstyle. Another great way to get that vintage inspired look is to wear a birdcage veil, such as the one pictured in the color palette. If the bridesmaids carry a muted bouquet of flowers, Valerie can opt for a bouquet that would match the girls dresses, such as the one pictured below by Modern Day Design. Or, in keeping with the muted palette, she could also carry beautiful blooms to match her blush colored dress, with little pops of color.


Reception ideas:
The reception will be held inside and outside. In keeping with the vintage garden party theme I suggest the following:
Have large silver ice buckets, such as the ones in Sabrina that held the champagne, filled with drinks for your guests. If there is a bar area, model it after the one in Sabrina with beautiful glasses that look like they are on display but are really to be used!
If the reception will be when it is dark, keep the lighting outside dim, and the lighting inside bright. I noticed this seemed to be the case in Sabrina and I love it. Dim lights are always romantic and will add to the mood of the evening. Candles can help keep the atmosphere romantic and beautiful.
Last but not least, if you really want to get into the garden party theme and incorporate a vintage feel, ask your guests to dress in formal 1940's fashion. In the invitation you can include this request, as well as ideas for the men and women on what to wear. I know I always like to dress up and if I'm asked to dress with vintage style, all the better! =)

At last, here is the color palette for Valerie. I hope this palette and my ideas can help Valerie plan her dream wedding with lots of little vintage touches.


Picture credits:
top row: J Crew, Oh How Charming, Wiggy Flowers via Style Me Pretty
middle row: Flickr, Stephanie James Couture, Jenny Lee
bottom row: Aaron Delesie, Santa Barbara Wedding Guide, Rebecca Thuss